How to Listen to God (corrected version)

Strange thing, I don't consider myself a very good listener, but this subject of listening to God came to mind.

Listening to God is like listening to anyone. Before you can hear Him, you must be ready to listen. This is what happened to me. I had to get my heart ready to listen to God by learning and studying His Word.

Just as in a conversation, you cannot hear the other person if you are talking or if your mind is distracted. So it is with God. If you want to hear Him speak, you must be quiet and focused on what He is saying.

Regular conversation with God starts with prayer, and regular conversation can transform your life. Consider identifying a place and time to meet with God every day.

Psalm 143:8 says "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."

Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to shut out the chaos around you and focus your thoughts. Is God someone you hear? The Bible says He is, and the Bible is one of the main tools through which He speaks.

We live in a world of noise. Almost everywhere we go, we find sounds competing with our minds. Hearing God's voice means not listening to the noise of the world around us.

King David, author of most of the book of Psalms, gave us a model for meeting with God in Psalm 143:8. He sought God's direction in the morning, at the beginning of the day. Like a general in God's army, he wanted to hear from his Commanding Officer before he entered into battle.

Every day we step out our doors, we enter the battlefield. Be prepared and have on your armor, the Word of God.

Thought for Today: Listening to God takes effort, find a quiet place.

Temptation

Sharing with you one of my favorite scriptures to reflect upon when I am tempted. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." This is a mouth full right here. Isn't it amazing that God knew before hand that man (woman) would be tempted and would have this particular scripture incorporated in His HOLY Word! Wow! He knew that both Adam and Eve would be tempted and he knows it about me and about you. Temptation in itself is not sin. Jesus was tempted. (Mt 4:1) Yielding to the temptation is sin. Giving in; not resisting is sin. God enables us through His power and His spirit to say "no." Have you ever wondered what gets you in trouble? It is the "i" in sin that gets people in trouble. It is thinking about yourself and caring the the consequences later. What is encouraging about temptation is that God will make a way of escape for you. It has been said that "God always makes a way of escape and sometimes the way of escape is the king's highway and a good pair of heels." In other words, let the Devil see your heels---run as hard as you can to get away from the temptation! Idolatry was a temptation during the Apostle Paul's day as he went to minister to the church in Corinth. Idolatry is still a form of temptation today. There are so many types of idolatry that it will take another time to discuss them. Beware that the Devil seeks to destroy humans by tempting them and humans are sometimes aware and sometimes unaware of the temptation. But you have been put on notice! God is faithful and gives you a way of escape. He will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. Thought for Today: Prayer helps temptation. Go from mine to thine. Keeping your focus on Christ.

I apologize for how the Blog is being posted

Dear Friends, I apologized for how the Blog is being presented. I separate the paragraphs but lately it all runs together. I hope you can get the gist of the message. Joy Terrell

Justice and Truth

Our lives should be examples to our children and grandchildren,models to which they can look for patterns of living. Because others are watching us, we can't afford to allow any room in our lives for injustice and dishonesty. How important it is, then, that our own model be the life of our Lord. The Bible tells us that only by faith can we live just lives. When we walk in the light of our faith, then our families will see in us examples of justice and truth. Oswald Chambers is quoted as saying, "Never look for righteousness in the other person, but never cease to be righteous yourself." Romans 1:16-17 states, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes...For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." The Bible spells everything out for us if we only take time to pick it up and study the scriptures. Look for righteousness in yourself! Don't worry what someone else is doing or could be doing. Just you be the example. My husband shared with me that his teaching leader told them that Christ never joked or smiled. I never much thought about it, but then on reflection, I don't remember reading in the Bible if Christ every joked or smiled. Christ always seem to know His purpose and His purpose was always to be obedient and serve the Father, God. Proverbs 20:7 says that "the just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him." God tells us in Hebrews 10:38 that "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." What is integrity? The dictionary tell us that integrity is honesty, and sincerity and another meaning says it means completeness. The Bible says that a just man walks in his integrity. How deep is that? His children are blessed after him, will find God's favor, God's holiness. When you are blessed you are happy; you are fortunate! The just live by faith. The same faith that Abraham had; he followed God not knowing where he was going, but God told him to go and Abraham was obedient. Jesus was obedient even to death! The Word of God is for the people of God. Those who are highly favored; those who are obedient, and those who will go where God tells them to go. Until I started studying the Word of God, I didn't understand what it meant to be favored, faithful, obedient, or to be blessed. You think about people saying "bless you" when you sneeze but you don't really understand what it means to be blessed. Thank God that His word is clear and if you just dig out His word, it will be very clear to you. If you don't understand what you read when you are reading the bible, search for a bible teaching church or a bible study course by a reputable preacher/teacher The Bible says that only those who have faith can live just lives. Thought for Today: Live your life in a way that pleases God.

Bible Versus Cell Phone

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you treated your Bible like you do your cell phone? What if you carried it around in your purse or pocket? What if you flipped through it several times a day? What if you turned back to get it if you forgot it? What if you used it to receive messages from text? What if you gave it to your children or grandchildren as a gift? What if you used it when you traveled? What if you used it in case of an emergency? What if you carried it with you to work, table, bed and even the bathroom? Is this something to make you stop and think about the two? One more thing, unlike your cell phone, you don't have to worry about your Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. The Author has been texting you for a long time. Have you read your text messages from God lately? Actually, there are enough messages to fill 66 books. There is information on many topics, a few history lessons, a few books of poetry, some laws and many, many promises. Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Copied from Crossties, a newsletter of Woolsey Baptist Church) Thought for Today: God's Word will not return to Him void. Try it!

Part II - When to Keep Your Mouth Shut

As promised, I wanted to share some more scriptures about when we should keep our mouth shut. We don't realize how words can hurt, but the Bible instructs in those areas. We should take heed to the Word of God which is instructive and for our good. We should keep our mouth shut:

11. When you are tempted to tell an outright lie (Proverbs 4:24)
12. If your words will damage someone's reputation (Proverbs 16:27)
13. If your words will destroy a friendship (Proverbs 16:28)
14. When you are feeling critical (James 3:9)
15. If you can't speak without yelling (Proverbs 25:28)
16. When it is time to listen (Proverbs 13:1)
17. If you may have to eat your words later (Proverbs 18:21)
18. If you've already said it more than one time (Proverbs 19:13)
19. If you are tempted to flatter wicked person (Proverbs 19:13)

Our focus in this life should always be on Christ and what would He do. We are often guided by our own motives and sometimes those motives are for bad and not for good. Let's look at a couple of these scriptures.

Proverbs 16:27 (No. 12) says: "A scoundrel plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire." When we intentionally speak words that will damage a person's reputation, we are a scoundrel. A scoundrel is a mean, immoral evil person that plots evil. Every word he (she) speaks is meant to cause serious infliction on the person of whom he (she) is speaking. A scoundrel is an immoral person and his speech is inflammatory and destructive. (James 3:6)

We should always speak words that are encouraging and kind. The bible says, "pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the sould and healing to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24)

Proverbs 16:28 states that "a perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends. Often times we repeat things we hear and spread them like a wild fire, but again words should encourage and be kind. When we spread lies about a person, not only does it damage their reputation, but often it destroys friendship. Gossip is contagious and is like a disease. The bible says that a friend is closer than a brother. A good friend is hard to find, so guard your tongue when you start spreading gossip. Ask yourself what is the purpose of your words; who will they hurt, and how do you benefit from them.

It is just as easy to say something nice as it is to say something ugly about a person. Words can cause life or death. Chose life. Proverbs are good for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; doing what is right and just and fair. (Proverbs 1:2)

Thought for Today: Jesus is our standard and God's word imparts wisdom.

When to Keep Your Mouth Shut

Often times in my life, I have failed to abide by this title. I wanted to speak when I should have just been quiet. That's the nice way of putting it, but the scriptures direct us to when we should just keep our mouths shut. Wisdom comes from listening rather than speaking.

For your consideration, I am sharing the following scriptures. Take some time and look at each one. It is a bible study in itself.

Don't open your mouth:

1. In the heat of anger (Proverbs 14:17)

2. When you don't have all the facts (Proverbs 18:13)

3. When you haven't verified the story (Deuteronomy 17:6)

4. If your words will offend a weaker brother (1 Corinthians 8:11)

5. If your words will be a poor reflection on the Lord or your family or your friend (1 Peter 2:21:23)

6. When you are tempted to a make light of Holy things (Eccelesiastes 5:2)

7. When you are tempted to joke about sin. (Proverbs 14:9)

8. If you would be ashamed of your words later (Proverbs 8:8)

9. If you words would convey a wrong impression (Proverbs 17:27)

The book of Proverbs is a very powerful book in the Bible and the proverbs are good for teaching and learning, especially your own children. Perhaps you are teacher or a Sunday school teacher, the above can be a useful source of training for your class.

Stay tuned, I will share No. 11-20 later because there are more instances when you should keep your mouth shut.

Let's just look at a couple of these and then on your own time, look at the others with a bible commentary. If you are not a church goer or you don't attend Sunday School, or go to bible study, you might be interested in going to a Christian book store and get a bible commentary and dictionary to help you understand the Word of God better.

Proverbs 14:17 says, "a quick tempered man acts foolishly, but a good man will be satisfied from above." Both the quick tempered and those of wicked intent are fools; wise persons shun them so that they are not involved in their folly.

I tell you that a fool is not just a nuisance; he is a hazard to the soul. Folly is not just an unpleasantness; it is a jeopardy to life itself. Only the fool courts disaster by playing with folly.

Stay away from quick tempered people who act foolishly and do things without stopping to consider the consequences. He slams doors, throws whatever is handy, yells, curses, and insults, breaks furniture, and walks out in a rage. But if we had to choose, we could tolerate him more easily than the man of wicked intentions. Everyone hates this man for his cold-blooded treachery.

Proverbs 17:27 states "He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit." Here is example of when restraint in speech is a mark of wisdom. This cuts against the expectations we have. We usually look for the wise person to speak, not for him or her to listen. He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of calm spirit. Rash speech and quick temper betray a shallow character.

The book of Provers provides universal principles for living. Written mostly by King Solomon, with portions written by Agur and King Lemuel.

Wisdom is universal, not national. In all your understanding, get wisdom! May God continue to bless and keep you.

Thought for Today: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.